RSPCA and police raid on house of ‘chaos’ with 31 dogs and 10 cats was ‘unlawful’, rules judge

Family deny causing unnecessary suffering to 31 dogs and 10 cats they kept in their Swansea home

Richard Williams admitted burgling the house in Nelson and stealing £190

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A family has gone on trial accused of having more than 40 pets at their home creating what a police officer called “chaos” and what an RSPCA official described as “a sea of dogs”.

However, district judge Richard Williams sitting at Swansea Magistrates court yesterday ruled the police and RSPCA raid on the home of Margaret Jones, 57, her husband Glyndwr, 63, and their son Philip Michael Jones, 26, in April 2013 , was unlawful.

All three deny causing unnecessary suffering to 31 dogs and 10 cats found at their home in Llanerch Crescent, Gorseinon, Swansea while Glyndwr and Margaret Jones deny breaching a life ban on keeping animals.

District Judge Williams said PC David Harrall who obtained a warrant to enter the Jones’ home had not informed the authorities Philip Michael Jones was claiming ownership of the animals and that he was not subject an animal ban.

He added there were other problems with the warrant including the fact there was no surviving copy of the document.

Jon Tarrant, prosecuting, said the “overarching” intent was to enter the home for animal welfare reasons even though there were mistakes that “could not be condoned”.

RSPCA inspector Christine Coleman, who said she could see “a sea of dogs” in the hallway of the Jones’ property when she visited it last year earlier told the court: “The noise of the barking was overwhelming and there was a strong smell of urine.

“There was greasy dirt on the floor and up the walls.”

PC Harrall told the magistrates: “In nearly 20 years in the police I have never seen anything like it. It was chaos.”